High intensity discharge (HID) lighting fixtures have widespread application in commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings. Conventional HID lighting fixtures generally include reflectors which enclose high intensity discharge lamps. Light emitted from such lamps is redirected by the reflectors in cooperation with refractors which are typically situated over openings at the bottom of the reflectors.
Conventional refractors of the type discussed above are typically joined to the corresponding reflector through the use of a hinge. The hinge allows the refractor to be moved away from the reflector, thereby providing access to the interior of the reflector to change the lamp and perform other routine maintenance. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,768 to Dryman et al. which discloses a luminaire including a device for hingedly mounting the refractor on a rim of the reflector. The device disclosed by Dryman et al. includes a bracket connected to the reflector and a hinge clip connected to a clampband around the refractor. The bracket has two hooked extensions which engage slotted sections of the hinge clip.
While Dryman et al. does not disclose how the bracket is connected to the reflector, those skilled in the art will appreciate that fasteners such as screws or rivets are normally employed to form this connection. The use of screws or rivets, however, significantly adds to the cost of materials and time required to assemble the corresponding lighting fixtures.